Top 10 Myths About Albert Einstein

1. Einstein did not flunk mathematics. In fact, that was one of his best subjects in school.

2. Einstein was not measured to have a high IQ. We don’t know what his actual IQ was, by current standards. History does not record him ever taking an IQ test. Also, the scoring for intelligence tests has greatly changed throughout the years.

3. Einstein as a schoolchild did not confront an atheist teacher about his belief in God. There is a widely shared story about such an encounter that is simply a myth.

4. Einstein did not win his Nobel Prize explicitly for relativity. The Nobel committee cited his description of the photoelectric effect when awarding the 1921 prize.

5. Einstein was not the “father of the bomb.” He played no role in developing it, except for urging Roosevelt to monitor the nuclear situation in Nazi Germany and take precautions.

6. Einstein never stated that quantum theory was wrong. Experimentally, he thought it yielded accurate predictions. Rather, he stressed that it had many logical gaps that need to be filled. In other words, quantum theory, in Einstein’s view, was incomplete, rather than incorrect.

7. Einstein didn’t always have a rumpled, wrinkled, shock-haired appearance. Strange as it seems, many people can’t picture him in his youth, when he was described as being an attractive man with dark hair, probing eyes, and a muscular build.

8. Einstein’s theories weren’t always right. In the early decades of the 20th century, his contributions were monumental. From the 1930s until the mid-1950s, not so much.

9. Einstein wasn’t always sticking out his tongue, despite the classic photograph. He once called himself a “photographer’s model” to poke fun at the paparazzi.

10. Einstein wasn’t just a “brain;” he had a broad range of interests, including music and sailing.

For more about Einstein, check out:

Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness To Create a Unified Theory of Physics By Paul Halpern

Order your copy now of Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat

Announcing my new book: Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics

I'm delighted to announce that my new book Einstein's Dice and Schrödinger's Cat: How Two Great Minds Battled Quantum Randomness to Create a Unified Theory of Physics is now in production and available for pre-order through Basic Books and Amazon.  It is about the deep friendship between Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger, their mutual dislike of quantum randomness and incompleteness, and their quest for a theory of everything.

Pre-order your copy at:
Einstein's Dice: Amazon
Einstein's Dice: Basic Books

Astronomy for Children

Introducing young children to science history offers a way for them to understand the scientific method and the process of discovery.  Ideally, they can learn that science doesn’t always take a linear path, and sometimes there are stark reversals. 

Take for example, the discovery of Pluto, its classification as a planet, and its reclassification in 2006 as a “dwarf planet.” Clearly the definition of planets has taken twists and turns throughout the years. 

I recently completed a book project with illustrator Vance Lehmkuhl with the goal of presenting the history of Pluto’s discovery and demotion, as well as a brief history of the discovery of the Solar System’s planets in general.  More information about the book is at:

What's the Matter with Pluto? The Story of Pluto's Adventures with the Planet Club

Earth: Our Tiny Enclave

Why did scientists such as Albert Einstein and Linus Pauling work tirelessly for peace?  My new op-ed piece for the Inquirer argues that an understanding of our place in the universe can help foster global harmony:

Earth: Our Tiny Enclave

Join me on Shindig for an online interactive discussion

On Thursday, December 6, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm EST I will be conducting a live interactive discussion on Shindig about Edge of the Universe and cosmology.   It will be your chance to ask me  questions about dark matter, dark energy, the holographic principle, time travel, dark flow, black holes, the fate of the cosmos, or anything else you've ever wondered about the universe.  Join me with your text or video questions! 

Paul Halpern on Shindig

Edge of the Universe: New Book Review

"What an astonishing astronomy/science book – I was virtually blown away by the staggering amount of useful information I could find in it, I was utterly lost for words! Paul Halpern truly does a magnificent job in presenting us -in simple funny ways- the latest 'trends' from the fields of physics and astronomy!"

-Book Review by Xenonisis

Best New Nonfiction: Edge of the Universe

"A wonderful new book on the cosmos out by acclaimed science writer and physicist Dr. Paul Halpern. This is a “gotta-have!” Recommended. –D. L. Keur, The Deepening (Book Review)"